Diego Barber

The Andalusia region of Spain stands apart from the rest of the country. There is a certain essence within the breathtaking natural surroundings and the culture, with hints of its Arabic past, that makes the region distinctive. These elements have inspired musicians for generations. Unsurprisingly, guitarist/composer Diego Barber, a native of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, has long had an affinity for Andalusia, especially for the city of Granada; an affinity only made stronger by his regular visits there to be with his girlfriend.

There is only one way to enhance one’s performance and that is to practice until there is a level of confidence in act, and pride in the outcomes. Guitarist and composer Diego Barber seeks new challenges relentlessly. His pursuit of excellence in all his endeavors has led him to the extreme heights of classical guitar technique, contemporary composition and long-distance running, all of these requiring grueling regimens of focused study.For his new recording, Drago, Barber departs from his recent focus on blending contemporary classical music and jazz to focus on electronic music, utilizing elements from both the classical and dancefloor models. A two-year long study of Logic music programming has led the fleet fingered string specialist to eschew the guitar for the most part to focus on composing pieces in a new and highly personal way.

The world of contemporary percussion music is a small one. It relies on a limited repertory that only grows at a glacial pace. It takes a youthful zeal and experimentation to buck trends, so it is not surprising that there have been a number of rising composers and performers who have made it their goal to move the music forward. On his new Percussion Theory, percussionist Alejandro Coello hopes to bridge genres and provide a new approach to contemporary percussion performance.

The cast for this Teatro Real de Madrid production is outstanding across the board. Figaro is the glue of any successful Barber – he moves the action ahead and the audience must look forward to his every appearance, vocally and dramatically. From the first bars of “Largo al factotum della città,” we know Pietro Spagnoli’s got the goods, with a satisfyingly solid and nimble baritone and a natural elegance to his movements on stage. Bruno Praticò is a prime basso buffo practitioner, impressively adept with the patter of Bartolo’s first act aria, his representation of the not-so-good Doctor suitably ridiculous, abetted by a Tweedledum/Tweedledee sort of costume. As Don Basilio, veteran Ruggero Raimondi exudes a perfect blend of decrepitude and cunning; if his voice is no longer as resplendent as it was 20 years ago, he still has a wonderful stage presence.

If Seattle was the epicentre of the Grunge explosion, then it was Nirvana who pushed the detonator. Formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, Nirvana quickly became trail blazers for the movement. Led by the enigmatic and talented Kurt Cobain, the bands raw and intuitive sound captured the angst and disillusionment of its generation and this uncompromising powerhouse trio waged war on anyone who wasn't listening!

The genius of Stephen Sondheim stems from the revered composer’s ability to plumb universal human emotions even in the form of the most outré characters – be they cannibalistic barbers, presidential assassins, or fairy tale witches. The acclaimed vocalist Cyrille Aimée discovered that gift first-hand as she took a deep dive into the Sondheim songbook for her scintillating new album, Move On: A Sondheim Adventure. What began as a celebration of a legendary Broadway songwriter became a work of cathartic autobiography as one song after another captured her deepest personal feelings.